Prince William County, Virginia is rich in history. Formed in 1731, it was named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. This blog is intended as a place for descendants and researchers of PWCo families to find and share information.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

James James aka "Double Jimmy"

Dodge City Times

April 20, 1876

Born in 1764. James James, or "Double
Jimmy," as he is more familiarly called, lives on a farm twelve
miles south of Weatherford, Parker County, Texas, with his daughter,
Mrs. Nancy Wheat, 63 years of age. This old gentleman was born near
the Red House, in Prince William County, Virginia, May 10, 1764. His
father resided on a plantation near the Potomac, adjoining Lawrence
Washington's. Mr. James has seen Washington often at his father's
house. He and his brothers were in the war of 1812. Mr. James was a
"jack of all trades," as he says he learned to be a
carpenter, bricklayer, stonemason, blacksmith, painter and tinsmith.
During his long life he has never been one month in bed with
sickness. Mr. James was married in Virginia soon after attaining his
majority, and raised a family of ten boys and five girls. Leaving
his native State some years after the war, he settled in Roan County,
Tenn. From that place he moved to Lauderdale County, Ala., thence to
White county, Ark., and in 1848, came to Dallas County, Tex., in his
84th year. He continued his residence there until 1872,
when, in his 108th year, he selected, as he says, Parker
County to spend his old days in. in his 109th year he
cultivated an acre patch of watermelons in Parker County, and raised
the finest brought to market. He realized $125 from this crop. Mr.
James talks very well and his hearing is pretty good. ~Galveston
News

Galveston Weekly News

January 6, 1879

Weatherford Times: James James, a
resident of Parker county, died at the residence of his daughter, in
Young county, on December 2d. He is believed to be the oldest
citizen in Texas, or perhaps in the United States. He was born near
the Red House, in Prince William county, Va., May 10, 1764, and
consequently lived to the age of 114 years, 6 months and 22 days.
James James, or “Double Jimmy,” as he was familiarly called, was
a hard-working man all his life. In his 100th year he
cultivated an acre patch of watermelons in Parker county, and raised
the finest brought to market. Smythe's Historical Sketch of
Waterford and Parker Counties says that his acre crop realized him
$125.

From the Prince William County
Historical Marker Guide:

Colonial Roads (78)

Fayette Road and Washington Street,
Haymarket

The town of Haymarket, chartered in
1799, owes its location to the

junction of the Old Carolina Road and
the north branch of the

Dumfries Road at the site of the
Red House. The Carolina Road

developed from the Iroquois hunting
path which was abandoned by

the Indians after 1772, when they were
forced by treaty beyond the

Blue Ridge. The Dumfries Road was in
use as a major trade route

between the Potomac and the Shenandoah
Valley before 1740.

[“Double Jimmy” is buried in
Gooseneck Cemetery in Young County, Texas. The “Red House”
referred to in the newspaper articles was an ordinary erected by
William Skinker, son of Samuel Skinker, built of large red brick .
Thomas Jefferson's 1787 map of the region names the locality “Red
House.” Today it is better known as Haymarket.]

It's a wonderful story, isn't it? I often find such newspaper claims to be a bit exaggerated after checking census records, but it does seem as if Double Jimmy was indeed one of the oldest living men on the planet. :) ~Carolyn